Road-grading machine



J. R. KEY.

ROAD GRADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-14.1919.

Patented Feb. 22,1921.

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UNITED STATES,

JOHN R. KEY, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

ROAD-GRADING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

Application filed August 14, 1919. Serial No. 317,442.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN R. KEY a citizen ofthe United States, residing at eavenworth, in the county of Leavenworthand State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Road-Grading Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to road grading machines of that class having therear end of the frame laterally adjustable on the rear truck or axle andan adjustable blade carried by the frame, and means for manuallyadjusting the frame and blade independentl of each other.

ith all machines of the class above referred to as at presentconstructed, with which applicant is familiar, it is necessary whenabout to make a turn, to first raise the blade and then shift the rearend of the frame toward the rear wheel at the same side of the machineas the normally elevated end of the blade, which double action consumesconsiderable valuable time in the course of a days grading operations.

The object of my invention is to produce a construction wherebyindependent lifting adjustment of the blade and lateral shifting of theframe may take place, as customary, or both the lifting of the blade andthe shifting of the frame may be accomplished simultaneously preliminaryto making a turn, to reverse the course of travel.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel anduseful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafterdescribed and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood,reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1, is a fragmental plan view of the rear end of a road gradingmachine of well known construction and operation, and belonging to theclass mentioned, provided with mechanism embodying the invention.

Fig. 2, is a section on the line 11-11 of Fi 1.

ig. 3, is a rear view of the right hand rear corner of the machine.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 1 in dicates the arched side bars ofthe frame of the machine, the rear ends of said bars being mounted inthe customary or any preferred manner on the axle 2 of the rear wheels3, the axle having pivotal adjustment so that it can be disposedobliquely at a slight angle to the line of draft, the obect of thisadjustment being to dispose the rear wheel at the ditch or cutting sideof the machine ahead or back of the other wheel as by so doing there isless tendency for the former to climb out of the ditch. The axle isusually so set when making what 15 known as the first or heavy cut inthe road grading operation. For the subsequent or lighter cuts the axleis usually straightened, that is set at right angles to the line oftravel. Mounted upon the rear ends of the sides 1 and constituting apart of the frame, is a slatted platform 4 equipped with a seat 5 forthe person in control of the grading machine.

For adjusting the axle pivotally a bracket {5 15 mounted on the platformand forms a ournal for a vertical shaft 7 equipped with a pinion Smeshing with a segmental rack 9 standing concentrically of the pivotalint of the axle, which is at the opposite si e of the platform, but notdetailed. The shaft 7 1s equlpped at its upper end with a worm wheel 9meshing with a worm 10 on a hOrizontal shaft 11 journaled in the bracket6 and provided at the inner end of the same with a hand wheel 12,rotation of which causes the pinion to travel on the worm and impartendwise movement to the rack 9 and h e nce pivotal movement to the axle.

At the opposite side of the platform is mounted a bracket 13 forming ajournal for a vertical shaft 14 geared by a pinion 14 in the customarymanner as shown, to the rack bar 15 on the axle, a suitable keeper 15inclosing the axle below the platform so as to hold the rack bar inengagement with the said pinion without interferin with longitudinaladjustment of the ax e or ivotal movement thereof around the axis ofshaft 14. Shaft 14 is equipped at its upper end with a worm wheel 16meshing with a worm 17 secured in the bracket 13 on a, shaft 18journaled in said bracket and equip at its inner end with a hand wheel19, t e operation of which through the mechanism described effectslateral adjustment of the platform upon the axle toward or from eitherof the carrying wheels 3.

20 is a circle frame customary in road grading machines for supportingand providing for pivotal adjustment of the scraper blade 21. Themechanism to eflect pivotal adjustment of the blade around the circleframe is omitted with the exception of the operating shaft 22 in Fig. 1.

F or raising and lowering the blade or ti1t-' ing the same so as todepress a particular end thereof there is a left hand shaft 23 and aright hand shaft 24, said shafts being journaled at their rear ends insimilar brackets 25 mounted on the corresponding sides 1 of the frameand equipped at their rear ends with worm wheels 26 meshing with worms27 on short shafts 28 equipped with large hand wheels 29, the operationof which through the shaft 23 or 2 1 and other mechanism not shown ordescribed as forming no part of the subject matter of this invention,effects adjustment of the corresponding ends of the blade.

In the practical operation of a large road grading machine of the classunder consideration two or more cuts are ordinarily made in grading oneside of a road, the axle being angled to advance the ditch wheel so thatit shall not ride out of the ditch produced by the depressed end of theblade. On the ensuing or second cut the axle is straightened and thedepressed end of the blade is more or less raised. At the end of thefirst cut which may be of the length of the road being graded betweenintersecting roads,'the machine must be turned so as to operate on theother side of the road during the reverse travel of the machine.

is consumed not only in connection with the engine, but because theoperator must first necessary to operate wheel 12 as well as wheel 19.

To obviate this double operation, that is to avoid the necessity ofoperating wheel 19 as well as wheels 29, shafts 18 and 11 are eachprovided at their innerend with a bevel gear 30 meshing with a bevelgear 31' ona suitably journaled longitudinal shaft 32 equipped at itsrear end with a bevel gear 33' meshing with a bevel gear 34; on theinner end of the corresponding shaft 28.

clutch members 35 normally engaged by clutchmembers 36 keyed to slideupon and turn with shafts 32 as customary, and held by springs 37normally in engagement with clutch members 35. Levers 38 suitablymounted engage the clutch members 36, and

suitable latch mechanism, not shown, be-

cause of common and well known construction, is employed for normallyholding" clutchniembers 36 out of engagement with clutch members 35, sothat operation of' the To make this turn 7 with the ordinary machlneconsiderable tune desired, however, the latch mechanisms or 1 levers 38or either of them may be tripped to permit clutch member or clutchmembers 36 to be forced into engagementwith the respective clutchmembers 35, so that theoperator by turning the wheels 29 one at a time,to raise the blade, can incidentally straighten the axle if angled andeffect the lateral'adjustment of the rear end of the frame. the axle isnot angled the clutch members related to the mechanism affecting thepivotal control of the axle, will be disengaged so that the operation ofthe right hand wheel 29 will have no efi'ect on the axle.

It will thus be seen that the mechanism shown enables the person incontrol to make the necessary adjustmentpreliminary to turning themachine, without manipulating the wheels 12 and 19 or either of them, except as they are operated through the power transmission gearing betweenthe worms.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced aroad grading machine possessing the desirable features of advantagepointed out as desirable, and I reserve the right to all changesproperly falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims andthe principle'of construction involved.

This case is a'continuation in partjonly of i applicants allowedapplication forpatent V for road grader, filed August 15, 1917, SerialNumber 186,4:09,

I claim:

1. in a road grading machine, a frame, a V

wheeled. axle supporting the rear end of the frame and endwiseadjustable transversely of and pivotally related to the axle,manually-operable means for pivotally operating the axle, a scraperblade, a manually-operable shaft for lifting and lowering one end V ofsaid blade, and means for transmitting power between said shaft andaxle-operating means. I

2. in a road grading machine, a frame, a wheeled axle supporting therear end of the frame and pivotally related thereto, manually-operablemeans for pivotally operating the axle a scraper blade, a manually-oper-The bevel gears 31 are equipped with able shaft for lifting andloweringone end 3. In a road grading machine, a framepa r wheeled axlesupporting the rear end of the j of said blade, means for transmittingpower frame and having endwise adjustment rela tive thereto andlaterally thereof, manually- V operable means for effecting suchrelative adjustment between the frame and'axle, a

scraper blade, a manually-operableshaft for lifting and lowering one endof the said blade, and means for transmitting power between said shaftand axle operating means.

4. In a road grading machine, a frame a wheeled axle supporting the rearend of t e frame and having endwise adjustment relative thereto andlaterally thereof, manuallyoperable means for effecting such relativeadjustment between the frame and axle, a

and clutch mechanism for transmitting ,15

power between said axle and axle-operating means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN R. KEY.

